Unit of Counselling, Testing and Disability Services
The Unit of Counselling, Testing, and Disability Services (UCTDS), is dedicated to helping students resolve personal difficulties, which may interfere with their personal, academic and social functioning. Some services include developmental, remedial and preventive services. Additionally, students struggling with learning may avail themselves of individual testing to discover their learning styles and strengths.
Accessing Services
Students with both permanent and/or temporary disabilities can receive support services through UCTDS. The goals of UCTDS are to help students with disabilities to:
- Achieve academic success
- Develop an on-going relationship with UCTDS Unit
- Improve communication with professors
- Promote equal opportunity for all students
- Assist students with identifying appropriate resources on campus
To be eligible for additional support through UCTDS, students must present documentation of a disability. In most cases, documentation will be needed from doctoral level professionals such as psychologists, medical doctors, psychiatrists or neurologists. The type of documentation may vary depending upon the type of disability. Documentation should be current within three years, but exceptions may be necessary dependent upon individual circumstances and disability. All students with a disability who wish to access services are encouraged to contact the UCTDS in the early stages of their admission process.
Temporary Disabilities
Students who suffer a temporary injury or health-related occurrence and require assistance are encouraged to contact the UCTDS office immediately. The UCTDS staff will collaborate and coordinate reasonable support for students with functional impairment. These may include broken bones, injuries requiring surgery and other acute illnesses.
Types of Accommodations
Support is determined based on the type of disability and the specific needs of the student. The following is a list of accommodations that are typically provided to KCST students:
- Preferential seating (does not necessarily mean in front of the teacher’s desk)
- Note-taking assistance which may include assistance from classmates, copies of classmates and/or instructor’s notes and/or overheads.
- Extended time for tests, quizzes, and exams: This is usually arranged by faculty and done at the UCTDS.
- Exams administered in a quiet, non-distracting environment.
- Concise oral instructions and/or clarification of instructions.
The campus is considered a friendly environment for Students with special needs. Wheelchair ramps and elevators are widely available, along with designated parking and restrooms accessibility.
Counselling Services
These services include academic counselling, individual counselling, and workshops. All services will be provided in a confidential, private setting on the KCST campus.
Academic Counselling
Academic counselling services are intended for at-risk students on academic probation.
Academic advisors who identify students with academic difficulties are required to refer them to academic counselling. This is to identify the student’s academic difficulties as well as communicate strategies for success.
Academic counselling related to student in Warning or Probation semesters to ensure that students are aware of the rules and regulations regarding warnings and probation. The Counsellor will work with the student’s Academic advisor to ensure that the students registers the appropriate courses and number of credits at each semester when they are in Warning or Probation semesters to ensure that students are able to improve their academic standing.
Individual Counselling
The Unit of Counselling, Testing and Disability Services provides counselling services for students requiring assistance with a variety of issues. Students are given the opportunity to discuss matters which may be causing them concern or stress. Individual counselling services are provided for such matters as anxiety, depression, loneliness, identity confusion, stress management, time management, eating disorders, grief and loss, family stress, college-related transition, developmental issues, and personal growth and development.
Workshops
The Unit of Counselling, Testing, and Disability Services offers free workshops to assist students with a variety of common issues.
Appointments
UCTDS is open Sunday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM from the arrival of students for the September semester until the end of Summer Semester. There are no scheduled walk-in hours. Appointments are recommended for all counselling sessions to be sure the counsellor is available.
Confidentiality and Release of Information
UCTDS is committed to ensuring all information regarding a student remains confidential. Any information regarding a disability gained from medical or psychological evaluations shall be considered confidential and shall be shared with others within the institution on a need-to-know basis only.
